Against the Tide of Years
|Next_book = }} This is the second book of a trilogy about events that take place when Nantucket Island is transported back in time to 1250 BCE. The Republic of Nantucket enters into an alliance with Akkadia (Babylon), the Island is attacked by Tartessos, first steps are undertaken to colonize eastern South America and Peter Girenas departs on his expedition to survey North America. Walker subdues Achaea May, 2 AE William Walker and his followers have traveled to Achaea (Ancient Greece) following Walker's defeat in the Alban War. Within weeks Walker is demonstrating cannon to Agamemnon, the Wannax, or High King, and is showered with land and riches. Walker introduces the Roman alphabet. Alice Hong sets up sanitation and modern looms. Bill Cuddy sets up lathes and forges. March, 3 AE Walker pressures John Martins into working on steel production and talks to a local architect about building a dam for a watermill, together with a blast furnace and outbuildings for a workforce. Odikweos, King of Ithaka of the Western Isles, is walking through Mycenae when he hears a swordfight. He and his armsmen investigate and find William Walker and his armsmen fighting off another group. Odikweos assists, and earns a night of hospitality at Walker's strange new house. June-July, 4 AE Agamemnon is shown around the new ships that William Walker is building for him, pausing to inspect a new invention of Walker's, the windmill. The ships are being built by a novel method, and Walker offers a demonstration ride. As they prepare for departure, Agamemnon notices groups of men moving in lines in the distance. Walker explains away the activity in a manner designed to cause Agamemnon to lose interest. Odikweos and Walker land ahead of the main Greek invasion of Sicily. Walker has 400 muskets and six cannon, and effectively uses them against 4,000 Sicilians. Walker is using Agamemnon's existing war plan to gain control of his own source of materials.(Ch.5) Nantucket June, 4 AE Martha and Jared Cofflin cycle to a new establishment. Ron is building a Bessemer conversion plant, producing steel from molten iron. The steel is being poured into moulds to make eight-inch Dahlgren cannon, for use in the new Coast Guard frigate ships. March, 8 AE Marian Alston is on her way to a Council meeting and has to deal with an escaped moa, a giant New Zealand bird farmed by the Nantucketters since year 2. The Council discuss the problems of immigration; the Council wants to assimilate the locals, not the other way around. Marian thinks she has an answer, in that intelligence reports suggest Walker cannot be stopped without a war. Lieutenant Vicki Cofflin and Ron Leaton trial an engine intended to go into Emancipator, the first of a fleet of airships. A tethered balloon hovers over the airfield, and an ultralight takes off. She jokes about being on the cutting edge of technology. April, 8 AE Ian Arnstein, Councillor for Foreign Affairs, reads through reports from Alba and decides what to do about a tribe of Sun People who think raiding might be a good idea. He collects Doreen, who is learning Akkadian, the language of local Babylon. They take their son David down to the docks to buy lobster, and stop to watch a Tartessian ship, a copy of an Islander design. August, 8 AE Swindapa still suffers nightmares of her treatment by the Iraiina in 1 AE. Vicki Cofflin admires RNAS Emancipator before the test flight. Jared Cofflin complains about paperwork before walking over to Coast Guard HQ with his family and Vicky for a working lunch cooked by Marian. Marian explains the Islands future strategy, then Jared entertains the group with the plans of a certain Pete Girenas on the mainland. Ch.3 September, 8 AE Major Kenneth and Captain Kathy Holland are interrupted in a training day at Camp Grant, Long Island, by a visit from Commodore Alston and Lt.Commander Swindapa. Marian inspects the troops, asks a few questions, then orders Kenneth to hand Camp Grant over to a successor when he takes his newly formed batallion off to the Middle East. Ch.4 October, 8 AE Swindapa and Marian dance and sing a 'soul' down for a new clipper ship under construction. Dr Henry Coleman introduces Justin Clemens to Jared Cofflin. Clemens has just identified cowpox in some Alban immigrants. They worry that it is a precusor to smallpox, which appeared about this time in 'their' past, and discuss vaccination- using cowpox to immunise against smallpox. Clemens has just qualified as a doctor, has just gone through a messy divorce, and is looking for a way off Nantucket... Ian and Doreen admire the half-constructed new clipper. Ian is amazed at the speed of build compared to the first. Marian tells him she is using mass production and prefabricated parts, as used by the Venetians to build Galleys. Ch.5 Tartessos April, 8 AE Isketerol, King of Tartessos, entertains his children with stories of his encounter with the Eagle and the Amurrukan people, and how he learned enough from them to take over as King in Tartessos after stealing a ship full of tools and books from Nantucket. He inspects a newly made musket and insists on the parts being interchangeable, before dismissing the machinist.Ch.2 Girenas Expedition, North American Continent April, 8 AE Peter Girenas is on a hunting excursion with Sue Chau and his dog Perks, when they are attacked by four unidentified Indians, whom they are forced to kill. Pete's mind is made up as he approaches base: The Islanders must find out what is in the continent. August, 8 AE Pete makes his way through Providence Base to the local fort and armoury, where he reports to his boss, Ranger Captain Bickford, and to his astonishment, Martha and Jared Cofflin. They discuss Pete's ideas for a continental survey; Jared refuses to allocate republic funds, but suggests that Pete should put his proposal before the Town Council and raise private funds, with Jared's open support.Ch.3